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Windows 8 has spurred manufacturers into making a series of hybrid devices like tablets with keyboards, laptops with touchscreens and even 27-inch table-like horizontal touchscreen computers. Nearly every new Windows 8 computer brings a new design to the market — a sign of how difficult it is to strike a balance between a Modern UI (user interface) optimised for touchscreens and a classic “desktop” mode.

We’ve reviewed two of Sony’s attempts at creating the perfect hybrid product for Windows 8 — Vaio P13 and Vaio Duo 11. Let’s see if its latest hybrid Windows 8 laptop, Vaio Flip, does the trick.

Build & Design

Vaio Flip is notable for its screen, which is attached to a hinge that lets it flip 180 degrees. The review unit was 13 inches, but it is available in 14- and 15-inch variants. There is a sliding switch that lets you lock the screen and the hinge has magnets that ensure that the screen snaps to it. You can flip it 180 degrees while watching a film and flip it back when using the keyboard. In theory, this sounds good, as it lets you use the device as a tablet and a laptop.

While using the device, we rarely flipped the screen. It’s convenient to do so while watching a video or a football match (you can use the free space on your table for food and drinks), but flipping it back and forth just to use the keyboard is cumbersome.

That said, the laptop has good build quality in spite of its portability. It weighs just 1.3 kg. The flipping mechanism feels durable and at no point did we feel it would break apart after prolonged use. Another new feature is the charging port, which allows the charging connector to move. This means that the cord will disconnect when you tug at it in a way that can damage it. This is a good addition, but it will cause the cable to disconnect sometimes, when you keep it on your lap while charging. The power brick is small and has a USB port for charging, which is a great feature.

Finally, the laptop has an 8-MP camera on its base. When you use it as a tablet, you can take photos too. Pictures were pretty good, but it’s hard to imagine anyone taking pictures with a 1.3-kg device.